It\u2019s time to think like a big brand <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When Coca-Cola goes to create a new marketing campaign, they think a ridiculous amount about their audience. Like, an unhealthy amount. They consider who they are. What they\u2019re up to. Where they lurk. What else is vying for their attention. They explore where their audience is <\/em>and then rustle up a plan of action to be present where they are<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead we build things that we call \u2018learning destinations\u2019. We create a land of learning, packed full of content and stellar learning programmes – all designed to help your people improve their performance. This is great, consumer-grade stuff that your learners will undoubtedly benefit from. But from there we seem to go very, very <\/em>rogue. Once we have our learning ecosystem established, we release it into the wild. We sit there, waiting for our people to eagerly enter the LMS and LEARN. We expect the learner to just know where to go to learn. We think (and say!) things like: \u201cWell, they should want to learn.\u201d <\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n But they don\u2019t, and we are left bamboozled. \u201cWhy aren\u2019t they coming to our learning destination?\u201d <\/em>Because, plainly, they do not know it exists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s paint this another way: if Coca-Cola is trying to launch their product in a country they currently aren\u2019t present in (which is a reach; a quick Google indicates you presently cannot legally buy Coke in ONLY Cuba and North Korea). Nevertheless, let\u2019s imagine they\u2019re launching somewhere new. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Can you imagine if all they did to launch was stock supermarkets and petrol stations with their product? Do you think they\u2019d get many sales? Probably not. You\u2019d get the occasional curious soul who\u2019d buy it, but you certainly wouldn\u2019t convert people en masse. They have their preferences, and without persuasion they\u2019re unlikely to deviate from them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Coke would never do this. Their master marketers know that before launching their products, generating demand and raising awareness of it is critical to overall success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We can clearly see that not undertaking any marketing would be catastrophic for Coke. But isn\u2019t a lack of marketing in L&D having the exact same effect? <\/p>\n\n\n\n This story is as commonplace as it comes. L&D launches new products into the organisation. It goes out into places and spaces unknown and, yep. You guessed it. Without undertaking any marketing or demand generation, we expect to suddenly be swamped with hyper-excited, engaged learners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You built it. They did not come. But why? Because no one even knows it exists. You haven\u2019t generated any demand for your learning. You are the veritable tree falling in the forest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Go on, shout as loud as you like. No one can hear you. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWe do not do this in L&D. <\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Raising awareness is critical <\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Raising awareness and generating demand<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/welove.netexlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/tumbleweed-acegif-17.gif\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf they don\u2019t know, they won\u2019t go<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n